Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-22

Ter Wnaf we KIN head EN- of.
Night had fallen in the meantime, but the
full moon had risen Immediately, making it
almost as light as day
After half an hours fast walking. the two
Unionists had cut across the long horseshoe
around which the Confederates were travel
ing, and had come down much ahead of them
on the other side of the mountain and lust
where the road led up the steep ascent of
another mountain
There was a loneliness about the spot that
was terrible Over it hung the thought and
deadly feel of solitude" The only break for
miles in the primeval forest was tina. made
for the narrow road. House or cabin there
was none in all the gloomy reaches of rocks
and gnarled trees. 1t was too inhospitable a
region to tempt even the widest squatter.
The flood of moonlight made the desolation
more oppressive than ever by making palpa-
Die and suggestive the inky abysses under the
trees and in the thickets.
Fortner looked up the road TO his right and
listened intently.
A waterfall mumbled somewhere in the
neighborhood. The pines and hemlocks near
the summit sighed drearily. A gray fox.
which had probably just supped off a pleas
ant, sat on log and barked out his gluttonous
satisfaction. A wildcat, as yet supperless,
screamed its envy from cliff half mile
away.
81 can't heah anything of Aunt Debby an
the Others said Fortner at length; 80
reckon they're clean over the mounting, an
bout safe by this time Them beasts are
purity good travellers, l imagine, an they
haint let 10 grass grow in under Their hufs ~
But the ConfederateS are coming, hand
over hand said Harry. who had been
watching to the left and listening. Il hear
them now quite plainly. Yes, there they
are, he continued, as two or three galloped
around Il turn in the road, followed at a
little interval by others
The metallic clang of the rapid hoof beats
on the rocks rang through the somber aisles
of the forest. Noisy fox and antiphonal wild
cat stopped to listen to this invasion of sound
Quick! let's get in cover, said Fortner
aye make fur tibet rock up thar said
Fortner to Harry, pointing to spot several
hundred yards above them. "and stay there
tell come Keep close in the shadder, SOS
they won't see ye.7
1t seerls To me that ought to stay with
YOU, said Harry, indecisively.
No; go We can't do no good heah. Ones
better nor two. I'll be up thar soon. Go,
quick
lid as hidden
Fortner stepped into the inky shadow of a
large rock, against which he leaned. The great
broad face of the rock, gray from its cover
ing of minute ash-colored Hchens, was toward
the pursuers, and shone white as marble in
the food of moonlight. The darkness seemed
banked up around him, but within his arms
length it was as light as day. The long rife
barrel reached from the darkness into the
light, past the corner Of the rock against
which it rested The bright rays made the
little bead near the muzzle CLEAN like dia-
mond, and lighted up the slit as fine as a hair
in the hindSight Three little clicks. as if of
twiSS breaking under rabbits foot, told that
the triggers had been set and the hammer
raised.
The horseEen, much scattered by the pur-
suit, clattered onward In ones and twos,
with wide intervals between, they reached
along a half mile of the read Two-the best
mounted-rode together at the head. Two
hundred yanlS below the great white rock.
which shone as innocent and kindly as feecy
summer cloud, a broad rivulet wound its way
toward the neighboring creek The blown
horses scented the grateful water. and checked
down TO drink of it. The right hand rider
loosened his birdie that his steed might crafty
himself The other frightened his rein and
struck with his spurs. His horse gathered"
and leapef acres the stream As the armed
hoofs struck sparks from the smooth stones
on the opposite side. the rider Of the drinking
horse saw bust out of the white rock above
them gray cloud with central tongue of
flame, and his comrade fall to the ground
His immediate reply with both barrels of
his shotgun showed that he did not mistake
this for any natural phenomenon. The
sound of the shots brought the rest up at
sallop, and rapid fire was opened on the
end Of the rock.
But the instant Fortner fired be sprang
back behind the rock. and then ran under its
cover little distance up the mountain side to
a dense laurel thicket. in which he lay down
behind log and reloaded his rife He lis
tened The firing had ceased, and a half
dozen diSmourted men were carefully an
preaching the spot whence he had sent the
fatal shot He heard the captain order
man to ride back and bring up the wagon.
that the body of the dead man might be put
in il As the wagon was heard rumbling up
the dismounted men reported to the captain
that the buShwhacker had made good his es-
cape and was no longer behind the rock.
Well, he hasn't gone very far said the
captain, with a savage oath. He can't have
got any distance away. and Ill have him,
dead or alive, before leave this spot The
whole gang of Lncolnite hellhounds are
trced right up there, and not one of them
shall get away alive" He put a bone whistle
TO his lips and sounded shrill signal A
horseman trotted up from the rear in re-
sponso TO the call. leading hound with a
leash Take the dog up to that rock there,
Bill, said the captain, "a1d set him on that
devils trail. Five more of YOU disnount and
deploy there on the other side of the road.
All of You move forward cautiously, watch
ing the dog, and make sure You save the
wbelp when he Is run cut
The men left their saddles and moved for
ward with manifest reluctance They had
the highly emotional nature usual in the poor
white OF the south. and this was deeply de
pressed by the wiertl loneliness that brooded
over everything. and the bloodshed they had
witnessed. Their thirst for vengeance was
being tempered rapidly by growing super
stltious fear. There was something super
natural in these mysterious killings. Each
man, therefore, only moved forward as he
felt the captains eye on him, or his comrades
advanced
The dog, after some false starts, got the
scent, and started to follow Formers foot
steps
Hes done tuck the trail, Cap'n," called
back one Of the men
"An right answered the officer: don't
take your eyes off of him for second till he
trees the game
But the logs and the rocks and the impene
trabie darkness in the shadows made it i'm
possible to follow the movements of the
bound every moment Only Fortner was able
to do this He could see the great greenish-
yellow eyes burn in the pitchy depths and
steadily draw nearer 10 him. They entered
the laurel thicket, and the beast growled as
he felt the nearness of his prey.
Wolf must be gittin close ter him. said
aF he,